225 pairs of sneakers, 60 Air Jordans and an obsession since he was 10 years old. In celebration of the Brooklyn Museum's sneaker exhibition next month, we talk to an aficionado.

Sneakers have had their place in fashion since the early '70s. Gucci may have been one of the first luxury brands to release a pair of sneakers in the '80s—but we've come a long way since then. Sneakers can now be found on almost every major runway shoe in some variation, from colorful tweed options at Chanel to futuristically sporty offerings at Dior. The Isabel Marant sneaker wedge craze of the last decade has its own special place in history as well—and we'd be hard-pressed to try to find a relevant street style star who hasn't worn adidas Stan Smiths.

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Next month's 'The Rise of Sneaker Culture' exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum explores the height of the obsession with sporty footwear. Over 150 pairs of shoes document the evolution of culture through Nikes, Air Jordans, Pumas, adidas as well as limited-edition versions of Prada, Louis Vuitton and sneaker collaborations between artists such as Damien Hirst and Kehinde Wiley. And inside the world of sneaker culture lives the elusive sneakerhead—collectors who live and die by their footwear. In honor of the exhibition, BAZAAR sat down with Calvan Fowler, sneaker collector and owner of sneaker consignment boutique Jordan Heads Brooklyn.

Harper's BAZAAR: What's the concept behind your shop?

Calvan Fowler: Essentially it's an all Air Jordan sneaker boutique. We sell all consigned sneakers, which all are brand-new, never worn. We sell everything Air Jordan related, whether it be magazines, books, socks, soap. We have an Air Jordan bowling ball, Air Jordan action figures. You name it, we've got it. At the present time, we have a pair of 2009 Space Jam Air Jordan 11s, they're running $700. The cheapest shoe we have right now is $110.

HB: How does your personal collection differ?

CF: It's a very wide mix—more or less Nike sneakers. There's quite a few adidas sprinkled in, but the majority are Nike running sneakers, court sneakers, and now, since I've been working on my Air Jordan documentary and working the store, my Air Jordan collection has started to grow exponentially—I have roughly 65 pairs. Combined, I would say I have roughly 225 pairs of sneakers that I've hardly ever worn or never worn at all. I have a habit of wearing the same sneakers everyday—the Air Jordan 1s in black and red.

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Stan Smith

HB: Do you remember your first pair of sneakers?

CF: Yes, I do. My first pair that I actually wanted were the Air Max 1s. I think they came out in 1984. I remember seeing the commercial were these guys were running down the street and there was a Beatles song in the background. I think "Instant Karma." I just couldn't believe it—I saw this air bubble being squished as they were running. I said, "Mom! I need these shoes!" Later that day I showed her the commercial. We went down to the store to check them out, and the price was $75, which was insane at the time. She told me, "You need to work. You need to get a job." So, I delivered some papers. I was 10 years old. Sure enough, I got some money and that was my first real pair of sneakers I personally bought on my own.

HB: You've said that your mom inspired your sneaker obsession. How did she wear sneakers?

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CF: She wore a lot of fancy Nike sneakers and had her own style. She would commute to work on a daily basis and wear sneakers to work on the train, and change into heels when she got to work. But she didn't buy any boring sneakers. She kept me in the same type of mindset. I definitely looked up to her in terms of sneakers at one point, now it's reverse.

HB: Have you ever done anything crazy to get a pair of sneakers?

CF: Yes, I flew all the way to South Central L.A. from New York to purchase a pair of sneakers for $235. I ended up getting a pair of Air Jordan 23s and now, they're worth over $2,000. So, I think I got a good deal.

HB: What are some of your favorite sneakers in your collection?

CF: My favorite, favorite pair of sneakers are my black and red Air Jordans. I can wear those everyday, I can wear them with everything and I feel confident no matter how dirty they look. I just feel very nostalgic and almost like a superhero when I wear these sneakers. No matter how many times these sneakers come out, I will buy them over and over again. When the Air Max 1s come out, that's a nostalgic thing as well—being they were my first pair as a young kid. They were advanced when they came out, with the air bubble, being inspired by a building in France. There's a lot behind the story.

HB: As a collector, are there shoes you purposely choose not to wear?

CF: Not at all. It's funny, because I always wore my sneakers and kept them clean. If I wore them, you would never know I wore them. It's a thing I was taught as a kid, after you wear your sneakers you clean them, thoroughly—top, sides and even the soles. Like a car. Without hesitation, it's a habit. As soon as you walk in the door, wash your hands, wash your sneakers. The only reason why some of my sneakers haven't been worn, is because I just haven't had a chance. But one day, I will.

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HB: What's the difference between sneaker culture and Air Jordan culture?

CF: What makes someone a Jordanhead is someone who eats, sleeps and breathes Michael Jordan—his sneakers, and the way he carried himself on and off the court. Essentially, these sneakers are a piece of history, a byproduct of this man's legacy. That's the only thing we have now that we can hold, feel and touch and possess. Michael Jordan is no longer playing, so if we have these shoes we can reminisce. It's more about fashion and less about basketball when it comes to these sneakers now.

HB: What are your goals as a collector?

CF: There's no set number of pairs I want to own. I just wear what I like to wear. I think it's more about quality than quantity, and what I can wear the sneakers with. How I mix and match t-shirts, hats or jeans. Women match their purses with their shoes—that's essentially what guys are doing! We won't admit it though.

HB: How do you organize your sneakers?

CF: I have a hard time. That's a whole other reason why I wear the same sneakers all the time. I do need to go through my collection and organize it with pictures—I think Mariah Carey does that.

Calvan Fowler collection.

Calvan Fowler

'The Rise of Sneaker Culture' is a traveling exhibition and is on view at Brooklyn Museum July 10th - October 4th. Calvan Fowler's documentary, Jordan Heads is out later this year.

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